Just barely two weeks ago our family headed to TX for the annual ATI Conference. This year brought many pleasant surprises with it. One, this was the first time for our family to tent camp. Two tents, eight people, and gorgeous weather...perfect for camping. To make things a little more cozy we skipped the ice chests and brought our own commercial refrigerator and ice machine. In all fairness, we tried to make it easier for all our camping neighbors by sharing our ice.
We went down on Sunday, set up camp and just relaxed until the conference started Tuesday evening. We visited with lots of old friends and made a few new ones...
The Fleshman family camped across the road from us and we enjoyed their fellowship greatly!
The Elliott's were down at the end of the lane, so we were able to spend a few evenings around the campfire with their kiddos.
The Dugger family from '19 Kids and Counting' camped just across from us. Our little girls made fast friends with one of their older daughters Jinger. She was so gracious to make them feel loved and welcome. She rode bikes with them...even tried the unicycle, played her violin for them, and took them for rides in the Kaboda 4 wheeler. They had a great time and came away feeling like they had a new best friend.
We were also blessed to have our friends from the dorm rooms, the Burnetts, Chathams, and Sholtesses stop by. Another fun visit was with the Fagala family...it was a blessing to get to hug our sweet friend Jessica once again and meet her 'soon to be hubby'!!
Joshua was blessed to visit with his newly made 'Journey to the Heart' friends. He also had our close friend Bryan Russell along for almost constant conpanionship. They attend the Student sessions together each day.
Joseph once again got to enjoy Alert Cadets, although this year was a new and exciting time for him as he got to be an assistant leader. He took this job seriously and diligently tried to help his friends Becker and Parker learn their scripture memory to complete their handbooks.
The Little Girls...Miss K and Miss M were very blessed by their Children's Institute class. They enjoyed singing about Abraham at the top of their voices. They also really enjoyed riding their new bikes to and from CI each day. Miss A is still too young for CI, but she took many exciting rides in the wagon or just pushing the wagon all over the campus with mom and dad.
Finally My beloved and I were encouraged, motivated, renewed, and refreshed by this year's conference. It seemed to have so much down to earth 'real' honest usable information. I love the way each year ATI casts a wonderful vision of godly families living for the LORD, but often I come home feeling that the endeavor is so hard or that we'll never measure up. This year's conference seemed to speak to me to take off the mask. Show others who you really are, share your hurts, your struggles, and expect no less from those you speak with. LOVE...remembering that 'Love is patient and love is KIND!' We are not to cast stones or judge those around us for being less than perfect, we are to look to Christ the only one who is perfect!
Each place I turned God had this lesson renewed in my mind. From the dear new friend who visited in the bathhouse with me from 4:30-6 AM(!) encouraging me to cherish my children making them feel special every day. To the young lady I met filled with gentleness for our girls, but was impatient and unkind to her siblings...boy was that a reminder to be patient and kind to those closest to us ~ our family! (Daily Struggle!!)
My beloved was very blessed by the men's sessions. The men who were self employed were a great encouragement as we seek to support our family with 'GODS' company Quiver.
They shared time and again of how the LORD was faithful to provide for their needs through people they had never met blessing them. They told of praying, but not sharing their needs outside their home and GOD sending people to answer that specific need... They were a great encouragement that GOD is our provider, we do not provide for ourselves. We simply manage or mismanage what HE has entrusted us with.
This was by far the best conference we've attended. I would encourage anyone interested in growing, challenging, and changing their families heritage to seek to attend one of these conferences. http://iblp.org/iblp/discipleship/conferences/atiregional2010/
What a beautiful family. I cannot wait till next year when we can attend our first conference. Will you be attending Family Camp? I am due a week before so I dont know if we will be going or not.
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